Elaina Wenger '17

Assistant Director of Admissions
(she/her/hers)

Home Admissions & Aid Contact Us Find Your Counselor Elaina Wenger '17

Email: ewenger@wlu.edu
Text: 540-254-5840
Regions: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina

Short Answer Prompt

To help jumpstart your brainstorming and to demonstrate that we empathize with the challenges you face in applying to college, our staff has published their own responses to our supplemental short-answer prompts. We hope you'll enjoy learning a bit about us and will feel more comfortable showcasing something new about yourself. Remember, these are optional, and you are asked to submit only one.

Prompt #3 (Max 250 words or 2-Minute Video)
Reveal to us how your curious mind works by sharing something you spend considerable time thinking or learning about. I’ve always enjoyed chemistry more than other sciences, but never envisioned myself in a lab-centric career. Recently, though, I’ve become fascinated by the beauty industry, specifically cosmetic chemistry, and the impacts of product formulations on the ability of people to care for their skin well. There is a large fearmongering movement on social media focused on the belief that “clean” or “natural” ingredients are healthier or more efficacious than those that are more “chemical”-heavy. These “clean” products are typically more expensive and less accessible than products at drugstores or big-box stores like Walmart or Target, and many of the arguments for “clean” beauty are rooted in classism and racism. Looking to the experts — cosmetic chemists and dermatologists, primarily, many of whom also serve as social justice advocates — has helped me learn so much about not only the science of skincare, but the importance of inclusivity and affordability in the beauty industry. The confidence that comes from feeling good in one’s skin is powerful, and the approach to beauty and skincare should not be based on fear or judgment. I’m hopeful expert opinion becomes a louder voice than that of people who make baseless claims, in the beauty industry and beyond.

Prompt #3 (Max 250 words or 2-Minute Video)

Reveal to us how your curious mind works by sharing something you spend considerable time thinking or learning about.

I’ve always enjoyed chemistry more than other sciences, but never envisioned myself in a lab-centric career. Recently, though, I’ve become fascinated by the beauty industry, specifically cosmetic chemistry, and the impacts of product formulations on the ability of people to care for their skin well. There is a large fearmongering movement on social media focused on the belief that “clean” or “natural” ingredients are healthier or more efficacious than those that are more “chemical”-heavy. These “clean” products are typically more expensive and less accessible than products at drugstores or big-box stores like Walmart or Target, and many of the arguments for “clean” beauty are rooted in classism and racism. Looking to the experts — cosmetic chemists and dermatologists, primarily, many of whom also serve as social justice advocates — has helped me learn so much about not only the science of skincare, but the importance of inclusivity and affordability in the beauty industry. The confidence that comes from feeling good in one’s skin is powerful, and the approach to beauty and skincare should not be based on fear or judgment. I’m hopeful expert opinion becomes a louder voice than that of people who make baseless claims, in the beauty industry and beyond.

Admissions & Aid